Good Gear Guide - Stories by Matt Cabral RSS feedhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/author/193019425/matt-cabral/articlesen-auFri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 +1100Saw II: Flesh and Bloodhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/konami/saw_ii_flesh_and_blood/367002/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedRescued by Konami from failed licensed game publishing house Brash Entertainment, the original Saw, based on the "torture porn" horror film franchise of the same name, was released last year to lukewarm reviews. Its recently released sequel, Saw II: Flesh and Blood, shows promise, but ultimately seems doomed to suffer the same fate. It's not a bad game -- especially for a budget title slapped together in less than a year -- but it doesn't do nearly enough to evolve or refine the ideas introduced by its mediocre predecessor.Matt CabralFri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 +1100http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/konami/saw_ii_flesh_and_blood/367002/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedGod of War: Ghost of Spartahttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/scea/god_of_war_ghost_of_sparta/366989/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedEasily one of my favorite titles this year, God of War III pushed the PS3 to its full potential, brought the Athenian ass-kicker's trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, and, so I thought, satiated my appetite for the epic third-person action franchise. Having collected countless colored orbs, participated in several sex mini-games, and defeated more mythological beasties than I can shake a severed Medusa head at, I'd felt Kratos -- as much as I love the grumpy 'ole god-slayer -- had offered me all he could. I was done. In fact, had I not been assigned this review, I probably wouldn't have bothered dusting off the PSP for yet another Kratos-helmed kill spree.Matt CabralFri, 05 Nov 2010 10:50:00 +1100http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/scea/god_of_war_ghost_of_sparta/366989/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedHalo: Reachhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/microsoft/halo_reach/360368/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedShortly before Halo: Combat Evolved landed like a Gravity Hammer on the original Xbox, a novel titled Halo: The Fall of Reach introduced fans to the sci-fi universe that would forever change the face of console first-person shooters. Matt CabralMon, 13 Sep 2010 10:40:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/microsoft/halo_reach/360368/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedLara Croft and the Guardian of Lighthttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/square_enix/lara_croft_and_the_guardian_of_light/357568/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedWay back in 1996, sometime between mourning Tupac and being subjected to Space Jam, the world was introduced to Lara Croft, a little lady with a big chest. The unlikely videogame protagonist, whose credit in the original Tomb Raider was reduced to a "Featuring Lara Croft" at the bottom of the box, proved videogame stars didn't need bulging muscles and frat boy attitudes to get things done.Matt CabralWed, 25 Aug 2010 14:20:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/square_enix/lara_croft_and_the_guardian_of_light/357568/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedClash of the Titanshttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/namco_bandai/clash_of_the_titans/354967/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedMonths after slaying the Kraken on the silver screen, Perseus finally lands on consoles to hack harpies and slash scorpions in Clash of the Titans' game adaptation. Despite being yet another film-tied title, I had high hopes for this very videogame-y property. After all, I sat through the recently rebooted film thinking it'd actually be served better by an Xbox than the box office. Hell, the original film was, for all intents and purposes, God of War long before Kratos was even a stain in Zeus' robe. So why did this one leave me as stone-faced as Medusa's enemies? Matt CabralThu, 29 Jul 2010 14:50:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/namco_bandai/clash_of_the_titans/354967/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedA history of GTA and how it helped shape Red Dead Redemptionhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/352981/history_gta_how_it_helped_shape_red_dead_redemption/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedA comprehensive look at Rockstar Games' enormously influential open-world video game franchise, Grand Theft Auto, and how elements from each of the GTA games ultimately helped shape what you experience in Rockstar's latest effort, Red Dead Redemption. Matt CabralTue, 13 Jul 2010 14:29:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/352981/history_gta_how_it_helped_shape_red_dead_redemption/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedSingularityhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/activision/singularity/352489/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedLast summer, Activision released Raven Software's Wolfenstein with the sort of hype usually reserved for a straight-to-DVD Steven Seagal film. This past week they took a similar under-the-radar approach with the developer's new FPS Singularity. But a modest marketing budget isn't all these two shooters share in common. Both feature alternate histories, former US-hating international superpowers, and dangerous experiments that turn humans into flesh-eating crazies. Replace Wolfenstein's zombie Nazi's with irradiated Russians and you're half way there.Matt CabralFri, 09 Jul 2010 11:30:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/activision/singularity/352489/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walkerhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/konami/metal_gear_solid_peace_walker/352464/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedKonami's super spy Snake sneaks onto Sony's portable with a cardboard box full of content, the franchise's most coherent narrative to date, sharp visuals, intuitive controls, and some of the most thumb-blistering boss battles your digits will ever experience. It also cashes in on the co-op craze, delivering some cool features, but the multiplayer friendly nature also yields some disappointing moments for lone-wolf types who prefer to go solo.Matt CabralThu, 08 Jul 2010 10:10:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/konami/metal_gear_solid_peace_walker/352464/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedAlpha Protocolhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/sega/alpha_protocol/348436/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedAfter several years of development and a seven month delay, Obsidian Entertainment's ambitious spy-themed action/role-playing game, Alpha Protocol, is finally infiltrating consoles. The studio behind Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas have crafted this "Espionage RPG" with the goal of engaging gamers' minds as well as their trigger fingers. While the end result isn't nearly as successful as the similarly genre-mixing Mass Effect 2, those who can look past its many flaws will discover a satisfying better-than-the-sum-of-its-parts experience.
Matt CabralTue, 01 Jun 2010 11:10:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/sega/alpha_protocol/348436/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedDead or Alive: Paradisehttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/tecmo/dead_or_alive_paradise/344976/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedThe high-kicking ladies of Tecmo's busty, butt-whuppin' fighting game franchise make their PSP debut in Dead or Alive: Paradise, but their latest outing forgoes their usual fisticuffs in favor of frolicking on a tropical island. Much like Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball and its sequel, Paradise exists almost solely as an excuse for the lovely ladies to show off their physics-defying polygons and act like bimbos.Matt CabralFri, 30 Apr 2010 15:15:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/tecmo/dead_or_alive_paradise/344976/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedArmy of Two: The 40th Dayhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ea_games/army_of_two_the_40th_day/334588/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedNot content to only conquer the console space, Army of Two: The 40th Day's co-op killers head to the PSP for more fist-bumpin', baddie-cappin' action. While the deadly duo provide some solid top-down, arcadey thrills on Sony's hand-held, most of what makes the console entry such a balls-out blast is sadly lost in this translation.Matt CabralTue, 02 Feb 2010 16:10:00 +1100http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ea_games/army_of_two_the_40th_day/334588/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedShaun White Snowboarding: World Stagehttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ubisoft/shaun_white_snowboarding_world_stage/328962/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedShaun White Snowboarding returns with World Stage, a brand new snowboarding experience created from the ground-up exclusively for Nintendo's family-friendly console. By limiting the franchise to coincide with the Wii's mainstream appeal, Ubisoft may have ensured we get more sequels in the fledgling franchise as Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage offers a more accessible, trick-filled trek down the virtual slopes than its multi-platform predecessor.Matt CabralMon, 04 Jan 2010 13:15:00 +1100http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ubisoft/shaun_white_snowboarding_world_stage/328962/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedHeroes Over Europe http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/atari_australia/heroes_over_europe/319125/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedWW II-themed arcade flight-combat games are nothing new; this console generation has already dive-bombed us with two entries each in the Blazing Angels and Battlestations series. Heroes Over Europe -- sequel to last gen's Heroes of the Pacific -- offers armchair aces yet another reason to climb back into the cockpit, provided you already have a love for the genre. It's got plenty of missions, authentic aircraft and engaging gameplay; unfortunately, it isn't anything you haven't already seen in any of the other titles.Matt CabralThu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:00 +1100http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/atari_australia/heroes_over_europe/319125/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedGrand Slam Tennishttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ea_games/grand_slam_tennis/309548/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedGrand Slam Tennis goes far beyond a glorified version of Wii Sports' tennis once you plug in the Wii MotionPlus. Learning to control the new-found power takes some time, but the reward of an accurately placed shot will keep you coming back to the virtual court. So lace up your white sneaks, grab a Gatorade, and plug in the Wii MotionPlus for the most realistic living room tennis to date!Matt CabralWed, 01 Jul 2009 14:10:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/ea_games/grand_slam_tennis/309548/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedWheelmanhttp://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/midway/wheelman/298798/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeedThe latest entry from the Vin Diesel-powered Tigon Studios (and Midway Newcastle) opens with an adrenaline-spiking cinematic car chase that makes Bond and Bourne's behind-the-wheel antics look like a driver's ed class; as the titular driver-for-hire, you're immediately thrust into a blockbuster-worthy scenario that sees you weaving through oncoming traffic, blasting down too-narrow back alleys, and hitting top speeds as you leave twisted metal, shattered glass and fiery explosions in your wake. It's a seat-of-your-pants opening that adequately sets the stage for what's to come in this GTA-meets-Burnout romp.Matt CabralTue, 28 Apr 2009 17:50:00 +1000http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/midway/wheelman/298798/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeed